La Frontera: La linea que nos divida. The Border: The line that divides us.

I hope our Mexican relations know that most of us Pochos do NOT share the hostility displayed by our elected officials, and vigilante posses towards undocumented immigrants. If it was up to me, I would grant a full and complete blanket amnesty.

My mother was a smuggler as a young girl. She crossed the border at El Paso almost every day. The border guards told her “we know you are smuggling something, but we just can’t figure out what!” She was smuggling in clothes. She would buy half a dozen dresses in El Paso, put them all on, one over the other, buy a bicycle, pedal back across the border and sell the bike and dresses all in the same day. She was never caught!

Of course, it helped that she was a very beautiful young woman. I call her the Mexican Lana Turner because she can turn the tears on, and off on cue.

It would be my hope that the Nuestros Ranchos software could be modified so that people could choose their language, Spanish or English. To make it more accessible to our friends, and family.

I’m on the Genealogia de Norte Mexico site, and it is hard for me to navigate because it is all in Spanish. Yet, I can keep up with the posts.
Benicio tells me that site can be accessed in English, but I have not been able to do so. I don’t see any instructions in my primary language.

I know income is a big bone of contention between our people. And of course the United States is wealthier than Mexico. But there are poor and rich on both sides of the border, and I think it’s a mistake to consider all gringos rich, and all Mexicans poor. Its simplistic, and just not correct.

In my family we all are in the middle class on either side of the border. My relatives own Pastas Porras in Torreron, Nuevo Leon, which my great grandfather founded in Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua a century ago. He crossed the border and went to Chicago to have the machinery made for his factory, all to his design.

My grandfather who was mayor of Hidalgo del Parral, as was his father in law, my great grandfather, went to college in St. Joseph, Missiouri. The border works both ways.

My relatives also own Muebleria Bautista in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, as well as several other businesses.

Where I live in Los Angeles, perhaps the majority of people are undocumented immigrants, predominantly from Mexico, but also large numbers from Central America, and beyond.

I make every effort to get along regardless of nationality.

Buena suerte, buena salud a todos. Somos familia. La sangre no se cambia.
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